Not Strong Enough
by iceredrose
Summary: Sequel to Though Worlds Separate us. Riku/OC Can Yuri find Riku and tell him what she's been trying to tell him all along? Will he be in love with Kairi? Or will Yuri and Riku live happily ever after?
1. Prologue

Three years. It had been three years since the door to darkness had been closed. Even longer since she'd seen his face. She walked through the empty streets of Hollow Bastion alone, the way she preferred it lately. Rain fell lightly over her black as night hair. Onto her white as sheet skin. She turned her purple eyes to the sky and wished the rain would wash her away as it did the blood and grime on her face. Couldn't she disappear from the world she lived in? Go some place where heartless and nobodies and selfish, heartless, handsome bastards didn't exist? She let a tear fall and mingle with the tears the sky poured freely. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the feel of the cool rain, let herself almost forget everything.

A swoosh of clothing shook her from her relaxation, she was once again on guard. "Who's there?" Her voice had changed in the last three years. It no longer held the innocence of childhood. It had matured beautifully. Her wary eyes searched the dark buildings but found nothing out of place. "Time to go." She whispered softly to herself as she once again set off for home.

He watched her from the darkness, that's where he always watched from, he dare not go to her. What would she think of him if she could see him now? Shrouded in darkness as he was. He remembered her from younger, more innocent times. Her hair had been shoulder length, her eyes so deep purple and clear. Now she was different. Though it rained she had no coat. Her pale arms were encased in fishnets up to her elbows. Her hands surrounded by fingerless leather gloves. She wore a red tank top and tight black pants. Chains crisscrossed behind her legs and her beautiful black hair fell in layers to the middle of her back. She looked up to the sky and closed her eyes. _No…just your eyes….just let me see them again…_ He leaned over into the light, almost lost his footing. She heard his coat and she was in combat position in no time, her keyblade out. She turned and he saw many other things that had changed about Yuri. Her red tank top rode up just a little on her flat, sculpted stomach. He saw scars over her abdomen and knew they went higher than that. Accompanying those scars was a bar through her belly button with a miniature replica of her keyblade attached to the bottom. "Who's there?" Her voice was harder than it had been before, wary and cautious. Her purple eyes were no longer happy, they weren't even sad, they were hardened with despair always lurking just beneath the surface. He wished, not for the first time, that there was a way for him to take that all away, but he knew there had been too many years of damage for it all to go away in the blink of an eye. He wondered, not for the first time, if she knew she was looking right at him. "Time to go." _Please don't….._But she turned and walked away. He fell from his perch and landed softly on the brick road.

"I will find a way…to make you happy…" With that, the dark figure disappeared into a black portal.

Yuri sat on the roof and listened as her friends below laughed. None of them remembered. Not even Merlin. But she did. She remembered the way Sora defeated Ansem. The way Riku had sounded as they shut the door. The way no one had listened to her. The way he had broken her heart. _"Take care of her."_ He had said to Sora. Kairi, the object of both boys' affections, would be looked after well, but no one cared for her. It was still a mystery as to why she ended up here and not with her mother. But she didn't care, her place was here. She looked up once again at the sky. "Riku…I know you're out there….I still have some things to tell you…then you can do whatever you like." She buried her head in her knees and wept bitterly through the night.


	2. Memories

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Yuri

Ch. 1 Memories

"Good Morning guys." Yuri walked down the stairs that led to the main room of their cozy home/base. Cid sat, as always, at the big computer trying to find more information on Ansem and his research. Yuffie and Aerith stood behind him, looking intently over his shoulder. "Where's Leon?"

"He went to go pick something up in town for our committee. Then I think he's looking around the bailey to see if we've done any damage. I don't think he has much hope." Yuffie replied without turning.

Yuri nodded and decided to meet Leon at the bailey. The hall was dark and empty of life. She went to an opening that served as a sort of window and gazed toward the castle she had been in three years ago when they fought Maleficent. Millions of heartless surrounded its gloomy grounds. She stared in despair. "It doesn't look as if we've done any good."

"No it doesn't, does it?" A deep voice from behind her spoke. She turned and gripped her Heartfinder fiercely. Before her stood a very tall figure in a black coat with the hood up.

"Who are you?"

"Oh! How rude of me. I am from the organization. Organization thirteen to be exact."

"Cuz that's so helpful. What do you want?"

"Now that's a completely different question isn't it?" She could swear he was smiling beneath that hood. "We want hearts. Lots and lots of hearts. And for that we need you…and Sora."

"Sora? What for?"

"Heeheehee!" The man disappeared with an unmanly giggle.

"Uh-oh" Yuri took off at a sprint to Merlin's house, hopefully the gang would all be there. When she ran through the door everyone stared back at her. Merlin poofed in and looked around in confusion.

"Ah! I am glad everyone is here. There are some new enemies you should be aware of."

"Organization 13?" Yuri cut in.

"Well, yes." Merlin stared at her.

"Ran in to one at the bailey. Said he wanted hearts, lots of hearts."

"The guys in black are a form of nobodies. So they're not actually alive. They must want the hearts to become alive again?"

"Maybe. How do you know this?"

"Oh, I just went to see my old friend Master Yen Cid. Anyway, they hold power over the ones we've been fighting. Because while they don't have hearts they _do_ appear to be intelligent."

"Well, what's one more enemy?" Yuri smiled but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Yuffie searched through the cupboards at the house. "We need more food. All this fighting is gunna make us hungry. I'll be back later." Yuffie ran out of the house and in to town while everyone else stayed at the house. Suddenly Yuffie ran back into the house and everyone looked puzzeled.

"Guys?" Yuri asked.

"Do you remember Sora?" Leon asked abruptly.

"Yeah." Everyone answered.

"You guys finally remember?" Yuri smiled again in a teasing manner. I wonder why you guys suddenly remembered like that, or why you forgot in the first place. And why didn't I forget?" Everyone shrugged in response.

"I guess this means he'll be coming back soon." Leon left and everyone started talking about Sora again.


	3. I'm Back

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Yuri

Ch. 2 I'm Back

One sunny morning Yuffie was searching through the cupboards and found that there was yet again no food. She sighed heavily. "I guess you all are pigs." Yuri laughed at her. "I'll be back." Yuffie left the house and Cid was busy looking things up and trying to find out more on Ansem and the heartless and nobodies. So Yuri decided to lay on the bed and read a book to pass the time until someone needed her to do something. Yuffie ran back in fifteen minutes later. "Guess who I found?" Right after her came Sora, Donald and Goofy. Everyone gave hugs except Cid who was still typing furiously. Yuri hung back, though no one else knew, she remembered the way they had shoved her aside and hadn't listened to her pleading. How to them she had ceased to exist. Did they remember that?

"Yuri!" Sora ran to her and hugged her tightly. "I was wondering where you went to."

Guess not. "Yeah, I wondered about you too."

"Well I'm back!"

"I noticed."

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie jumped in front of Sora and waved her hand to encompass everyone in the room: Cid, Yuffie, Yuri, Leon and Aerith.

"I knew we'd see you again." Leon said.

"How?"

"A few days ago everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time."

"You…remembered? Wait! Does that mean you forgot about us?!"

"Thanks!" Donald yelled sarcastically.

"So where have you guys been all this time?" Yuffie asked changing subject to avoid a fight.

"We were sleepin'." Goofy explained.

Yuri checked out of the conversation at that point. How could they have been sleeping for three years? Who had put them into a sleep that would last three years? Is that why everyone forgot about them? But still, why hadn't _she_ forgotten?

"So, um…we're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?"

Yuri's head shot up and everyone got sullen as they shook their heads. Yuri put a hand over her stomach and tears came to her eyes. "Riku…" She whispered to herself. Sora, Donald and Goofy hung their heads in disappointment.

"Right."

"Sorry," Aerith tried to cover up the fact that they hated Riku. "But let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Okay?"

That cheered Sora a little. "Okay. Thanks."

Cid got into Sora's face. "Don't go thankin' us just yet." Sora looked at Cid questioningly so Leon elaborated.

"Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big problem."

Sora peeked around Cid's body at Leon. "You mean, like Nobodies? And Heartless?"

"That's right!" Yuffie was as optimistic as ever while Yuri sat on the bed silently thinking about Riku and trying to pay attention to the conversation.

Yuri snapped out of her daze as Leon walked by her to the door and opened it, letting light from the outside stream in. "Follow me to the bailey—" He told Sora, "There's something you need to see." Leon walked away leaving a curious Sora.

"I'm….I'm gonna go out…" Yuri left and walked around the town. She went to see Scrooge McDuck and some of the other shop keepers.

"How are you doing, love?" asked one of the men who had become fond of Yuri in her three years living in Hollow Bastion.

Yuri studied him for a moment. He has long brown hair tied back in a pony tail at the base of his neck and wore a brown vest over a white shirt and brown pants. The wrinkles around his eyes and mouth told her that he smiled a lot throughout his life, like he was doing at the moment. "I'm alright Dan. How are you?"

"Can't complain. It doesn't look like you're doing alright." He studied her with grey eyes.

"Just boy problems."

"Someone sweet on you?"

"No. I'm sweet on him, but I don't think he even knows I exist. I just don't know what to do anymore." Yuri sat on the desk in front of Dan's shop.

"Well, how do you feel about this boy?"

"I'm in love with him."

"And how does he feel about you?"

"I don't know. He doesn't. He's too busy being sweet on his friend's crush."

"Ah…So, does he know you love him?"

"I don't think so. I tried to tell him once, but so much was going on, he didn't listen."

"It may have been that he _couldn't_ listen." Dan tapped his chin. "I think that you should not give up on this boy until you tell him how you feel. One thing you have to understand Yuri, all boys and a lot of men are stupid. We don't understand hints; we don't know when we've got something good in front of us until it hits us in the face." Yuri smiled as she thought of hitting Riku in the face and yelling at him that she was in love with him. But then she pictured him laughing it off and leaving to go flirt with Kairi who was clearly in love with Sora.

Yuri sighed heavily. "Maybe."

"No maybe." Dan hardened his voice so Yuri would listen. "Yuri, you are a very beautiful, smart, talented, loving girl. And if this boy doesn't love you back, then maybe he's incapable of loving. Maybe he does love you and is afraid that he isn't good enough for you, cuz I can't imagine a boy ever being good enough for you."

Tears sprang to Yuri's eyes as she smiled. "Thank you Dan!" She leaped over the counter and hugged Dan ferociously. "I better get back to my friends. Thank you again."

"Any time dear."

Yuri ran back to Merlin's house and found her gang. "Where's Sora?" She wanted to go with him to search for Riku.

"He left. Another world opened and needed his help." Leon told her looking away from the computer.

"Oh." Yuri hung her head a little. "Alright then. I'll be back later." Everyone nodded and waved to let her know they heard her.


	4. Hidden Places

Disclaimer: I don't own anything But Yuri.

A/N: I know it's short. Sorry

Ch. 3 Hidden places

Yuri walked to the bailey and looked out at the castle that used to be Maleficent's lair. She remembered the vast maze of a castle as she looked for Riku, to fight and hopefully save him, but she hadn't been able to. And when he was finally free, she hadn't been allowed to tell him that she was in love with him. And now he was lost in the darkness, somewhere helping the king. Maybe even trying to find Kairi again.

A swoosh of clothing jerked her out of her daze. She turned sharply and looked into the wide open space. "Who's there?" No answer. Another swoosh made her run into the open space. There was lots of brick and pipes. Yuri looked around her in confusion. A noise to her right made her turn and see what looked to be very large stairs. _This feels weird…like…I'm being lead somewhere…_ Yuri leapt down the steps and found that she felt very small compared to the large cement structures surrounding her. At the opposite side of the enclosed area she saw a man in a long black jacket, hood up. _Organization XIII_ Yuri ran after him. "Hey!" The being turned, saw her and ran in the opposite direction. _Why is he running?_ Yuri followed him through a hallway surrounded by cement structures. When she came to a platform she couldn't find the man in black anymore. _Where did he go?_ She walked over to the edge and saw another walkway below her and the man from the Organization running on it, away from her. "HEY!" She yelled at him before running to find the path that led down there. She ran down and was led into a building. She stopped and looked around her. The walls were lined with brass pipes. _What a strange place…_ she heard a foot step and looked at the opposite end of the hall. The man in black waved and continued running. Yuri was very confused but followed him. He led her through hallways and rooms that all looked the same. _How do I know this isn't a trap?....Because I don't feel like it's one…_In some passages she saw that rocks had fallen and closed off sections of the building. _What is this place?_ She ran into a hallway from a large room and saw the man at the end in front of a door. He turned and looked at her for a moment. _Do I know him?..._He disappeared in darkness. "Wait!" Yuri held a hand out for him to wait, but he was already gone.

Yuri walked to the door and pushed it open. Inside she found a desk with broken glass on it. Books and papers littered the floor and bookshelves lined the walls. On one wall was a picture of a man with long grey hair and sharp features. "Ansem…Yuri looked around again. This must have been his office?" Yuri looked through some of his things quickly. _Why are there bookshelves lining every wall except this part? And there's nothing on the wall at all…_ Yuri walked to the wall and put her hand on it. She tried knocking to see if there was anything behind it and found it was hollow all over. "There has to be a way to get in…or out." She put her hands on it and tried pushing. Yuri failed to notice the white light glowing around her right hand and fell through when the wall glowed white and disappeared. "OH!" She landed heavily on her hands and knees. "Ow…" Rubbing her wrists Yuri rose to her feet and saw another hallway with another door at the end. Along one side of the room there was a large computer and keyboard with all sorts of strange looking buttons. On the other side there was a large circular thing with a red ball in the middle. "A computer room?" Yuri was careful not to touch anything as she looked around. _I better tell the others._ Yuri ran out of the building and got back to the landing before looking back. _I wonder who that man was…why did he show that to me?_ Yuri shrugged and continued running home to her friends.

He watched from afar. She had needed something, she was so sad earlier. Maybe he could help her fight the heartless. He had found Ansem's place earlier and knew he should show it to Yuri, to try and make her happy. He still smiled when he though of how cute she had looked when she fell through the wall, the surprise on her face. He sighed heavily. Maybe someday he would be able to see it when he was face to face with her again.


	5. The King

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Yuri

Ch. 4 The King

The group had all been very interested in the secret rooms Yuri had discovered, but they were a little worried about the man in black that had helped her. They spent many days and many evenings in the lab it was on one of these evenings that Yuri offered to pick up dinner for everyone. "Thanks Yuri!" Yuffie yelled as she went back to trying to find information on heartless.

Yuri ran to the neat little restaurant that had gone into business not very long ago. "Hello miss, how may I help you?"

"Hi. I need five dinner platters to go?"

The men behind the counter nodded and motioned for Yuri to sit. "It'll be about ten minutes." Yuri nodded and took a seat next to the door. A small figure walked in, it was wearing a coat like the Organization members, but his hood formed around two mouse ears. Yuri stared curiously at the figure.

"Hello?" Its voice was high pitched and girly sounding. Yuri's eyes widened as she realized she knew who this was.

"Oh, sorry, how may I help you?" The man looked oddly at the mouse standing in front of him.

"Just a dinner platter please?" it said looking at the overhead menu.

"Alright. It'll be just a moment, won't you have a seat?" The figure nodded and moved to sit on the other side of the door from Yuri.

"So, how have you been? King Mickey." Yuri said it quietly so no one else would hear her.

Mickey jumped off his seat. "Who are you?"

"My name is Yuri. You probably don't remember me."

"Oh I remember you. You helped us close the door; you helped save Riku from the darkness inside of him."

Yuri shook his head. "No. I tried to tell him something as we were closing the door but no one would listen to me. Not even him." Mickey stared at her. Her voice was so hard, nothing like what Riku had told him.

"Miss your order. Anything else I can get for you?"

"Five large drinks?" Her voice was beautiful and sweet as she talked to the man in front of her. So was it just him she had a problem with? Why?

Yuri filled the large drinks and put them in a cup holder provided by the restaurant. "That'll be 45 munny." Yuri nodded and dug in her pocket for the munny Leon had given her for dinner.

After paying Yuri waited outside the door, knowing that the group would want to see him and that he may be interested in what they found. The door opened and Mickey walked out carrying his own dinner platter and drink. "We found Ansem's office and computer room."

Mickey jumped and almost dropped his dinner from surprise. "Really?" Yuri nodded.

"Sora's been looking for you."

"And you've been looking for Riku."

Yuri nodded. "I have some things to tell him. Then he can do whatever the Hell he wants to do with his life." She took a breath. "Do you know where he is?"

Mickey nodded. "He's closer than you think, but he's in the darkness, under cover. Like me." Yuri nodded. He didn't know why he told her that. He wasn't supposed to. He couldn't tell anyone else.

"I hope he's alright." Her voice had softened again, not forced joy as it had been in the food shop, but worry, soft, like Minnie's voice when she worried about him.

Mickey looked at her in surprise. "You love him don't you?"

Yuri nodded. "I was trying to tell him that as we were closing the door, but like always, I ceased to exist because everyone else was so busy taking care of what they had to say I got put on the back burner. And he then he told Sora to take care of her. Kairi."

"How do you know he meant Kairi?"

"Because he spent all that time looking for her. Tearing up everyone in his path, including me, to get to her." Mickey looked Yuri over and as she walked her shirt rode up on her flat belly, allowing Mickey to see white and red scars. That boy was an idiot.

"I'm sorry." Yuri stopped and looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry that because the rest of us were talking you didn't get a chance to tell him something very important. Something he would have wanted to hear." Yuri nodded. Maybe the king wasn't such a bad guy after all.

When Mickey arrived at Ansem's office he was amazed. Then Yuri led him to the computer room and his jaw went agape. Yuri distributed meals and everyone introduced themselves to the King. "Wow. This is really somethin'." Mickey looked around and punched a few buttons. "I wonder how to get into it. I'll be back soon." Mickey left the room and Yuri turned to her group.

"What do you guys think?"

"I like him." Yuffie and Aerith agreed. Leon nodded and Cid typed away at the computer trying to make sense out of it.


	6. Inside the Computer

Disclaimer: I won nothing but Yuri

Ch. 5 Inside the Computer

Yuri spent another month trying to find something on the computer or in Ansem's office that would be helpful but she couldn't do anything. She especially couldn't work when all that racket was going on outside.

Yuri stopped what she was doing and tilted an ear up to listen to the racket. She heard Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "Well it's about time they got back." She muttered to herself. Yuri scowled at the computer. _I don't know why everyone thinks they're so great. It's not like we couldn't handle any of this without them. _Yuri shook her head. _That's mean. I know they like to help, and we need it…_

When Sora entered the room Yuri turned to face them. "Hey guys." She wore a bright smile on her face that couldn't quite reach her purple eyes.

"Hey Yuri. So, this is it." Sora ran to the computer and stared at it in awe. "Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?" Sora started pushing random buttons.

"Sora! Don't! What do you mean? What happened to Kairi?" Yuri tried to pry Sora's hands off the computer.

"She was taken by a member of Organization XIII." He banged his hands on the innocent keyboard.

"Easy…" Leon interrupted Sora's tantrum and Yuri was grateful for it. "You wanna break it?" He may have sounded a little more harsh than need be, but it did the job.

Sora stopped and looked around sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away." He rubbed the back of his head.

"A little?" Yuri asked sarcastically.

Before Sora had time to respond to her remark Goofy jumped back and yelled in alarm. "Huh?" Everyone looked up and saw a little blue dog looking animal on the ceiling of the computer room.

"AH!" It yelled as it lost its grip and fell on its feet on the keyboard. Yuri jumped back with her keyblade in hand.

"Get off of there!" Donald yelled. Donald tried to grab the little guy but he outmaneuvered Donald and they ran all over the keyboard. _I don't think that's a good thing to do…_

Suddenly alarms started going off. Yuri stood next to Sora and glared at Donald. A deep voice sounded from no where. "Attention current user." They looked around in confusion. "This is a warning. Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."

"Who's there?" Sora asked while at the same time Yuri asked:

"What's that mean?"

"I am the Master Control Program." The voice answered back. "I oversee this system."

"Where are you?" Sora asked looking around for the source of the voice.

There was no answer. Donald moved to get off the keyboard but ended up stepping on it again. More alarms went off and everyone yelled, "Donald!"

"I'm sorry…"

"Decision gate reached." The voice came back. "You are now under arrest."

"Arrest!?" Yuri and Sora yelled.

Yuri saw Leon's eyes divert to the large circular structure so she looked there as well. The red circle in the middle started glowing white. Leon reached to them. "Run!" He tried to grab her but Yuri was frozen stiff. She didn't know why she couldn't move, she just couldn't. She willed her body to run, but she couldn't make it do anything. All she could do was stand there and get a beam of light shot at her.

It was a very odd feeling to have her body vaporized and put back together again, it was like everything getting that tingling feeling after it falls asleep. When she woke up she was laying on a blue floor with blue surrounding her and she wore blue. "Oh this is just wrong. I hate blue!" She felt her head because it felt heavier and found she was wearing a helmet. "No doubt blue. So now, not only am I surrounded by blue and pasty looking, I'll have helmet hair. Woohoo."

Weird creatures that were electronic looking surrounded her. "Can I help you?"

"You are under arrest." One said in a robotic voice.

"Oooookay then?" One tazed her. "OUCH! ALRIGHT! Geez!" Yuri walked in the middle of them and saw on the opposite side of a hall Donald and Goofy were being held captive as well, when they met in the middle she saw Sora was still free.

"Sora!" Donald yelled.

"Go on! Show 'em who's boss!"

A beam of light shown from the floor next to Sora and a man in a red and grey suit appeared. "Who're you?" Sora asked in a smart allec voice.

"I am Commander Sark."

"A heartless commander?" Sora questioned.

"Observe." Yuri was shoved into the group with Donald and Goofy. The robots gathered around them in a tight circle and all tazed them at once. Yuri screamed in pain.

"Okay, you're the boss! I get it." Sora yelled frantically, trying to get them to stop hurting his friends. The torture stopped and Yuri fell to her knees with the others panting heavily.

"I don't think….that…was necessary." She complained.

They were led to a blue room with windows over looking the technology city. "This place is weird." Yuri hugged her knees to her chest as Sora paced and Donald and Goofy looked out the windows.

"Yeah." They all agreed.

"I wonder what will happen to us?"

"Dunno." Sora answered absentmindedly. "Man, what kind of world is this anyway?" He asked as if he hadn't heard anything Yuri had just been saying. Yuri sighed and buried her head in her knees. She just wanted to be back with Leon and the others, continue her search for Riku and tell him she loved him so she could move on with her life.

"You're inside a mainframe computer system." They all turned to see a man in blue sitting against a different wall with his knees hugged against his chest as well.

"A what system?"

He let one of his legs fall and rested his arm on the other. "A computer system—for processing data. This system is a copy of one created by a corporation called ENCOM. The original program was destroyed." He stood. "But this copy was acquired by another User." He crossed to them and Yuri stood as well, wary. "The new User updated and customized the programs, renaming the system "Hollow Bastion OS. He used the system for town maintenance, and to advance his private research."  
"Sounds like Ansem." Yuri whispered to no one.

"My name is Tron." The man finally introduced himself. "I'm a security program. But now I'm under arrest, same as you."

"Did you guys get any of that?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy who shook their heads 'no'.

"I think I did. Basically all you need to know is that we're inside the computer, Ansem used this computer for research and to help the town and Tron is a good guy under arrest like us. But why?" Yuri turned back to Tron.

Goofy looked up to the sky. "Gawrsh…maybe we should just introduce ourselves." They decided that was a good idea.

"I'm Sora."

"And I'm Donald."

"Nice to mmeet'cha, Tron. I'm Goofy."

"And who is this?" Tron asked looking at Yuri.

"My name is Yuri. I'm just along for the ride."

"With that configuration, you must be Users."

"Users?" Sora asked in confusion.

"You'd better get out of here quickly. Who knows what the MCP will do to you?"

"MCP?" Sora asked in more confusion.

"The Master Control Program?" Yuri asked thinking back to the thing that arrested them in the first place.

"Yes." Tron concurred. "It controls the whole system. If you idle here, you will be de-rezzed."

"De-rezzed!?" Donald yelled.

"What exactly does de-rezzed mean?" It was Yuri's turn to be confused.

"You will be destroyed." Tron said gravely.

"So, how do we get out of here?" Sora needed to know quickly. He still had a lot of people to find.

Tron went to what looked like another computer in their cell. "This terminal could've gotten you back to the User world. But the MCP cut the power 50 microcycles ago." Hope faded from everyone's faces. "If we could bring the energy core in the canyon online, we could power it back up. The problem is, we're stuck in this cell." Tron pointed to the door that was pulsating an orange light in the middle. "We're not going anywhere unless we unlock the energy fields." Yuri looked closely at the pulsating orange light and realized that there was a keyhole in the middle of it.

"Sora." She whispered. Sora leaned in to her. "That light in the middle looks like a key hole. Use your keyblade."

"Oh yeah!" Sora held out his hand and his keyblade appeared. He went to the door and started attacking it as the keyhole faded. Black energy orbs fell out and surrounded the room before the door finally gave way and disappeared.

"Remarkable." Tron commented. "It seems you have some unique functions. I'll go with you to the canyon. You'll need someone who can interface with the energy core, right?"

"If you say so…" Sora had a confused look on his face again. "Thanks Tron."

"If it's all the same to you, I'll stay here with Goofy and look out for bad guys." Sora nodded and took Tron and Donald to the canyon. "So Goofy, do you have anyone special at home?"

"Nope!" Goofy shook his head and blushed.

"Does Donald?"

"Sure, he's got Daisy."

"Ah." Yuri leaned against a wall and waited for someone to come back so they could get out of the computer.

Twenty minutes later Yuri was woken up by being shaken roughly. "Man, you could sleep through anything." Sora laughed.

"Ha ha. Did you do whatever it was that needed to be done? Can we get out of here now?" Sora nodded. "Great." Yuri stood and walked to the computer where Tron was getting ready to send them home.

"So, what did you want us to do?" Sora asked as they waited.

Tron stood and faced them. "Find my User. He'll give you the password to access the DTD."

"The DTD?" Yuri questioned.

"You bet!" Donald assured Tron.

"So, um…" Sora stammered.

"DTD is the name my User gave to the dataspace. Copies of all the original system programs are stored there, along with anything that's sensitive or restricted."

"Is there stuff about the Heartless, or Organization XIII?" Goofy asked.

"Hmmm…" Tron tried to think back to that file. "Most likely." He bent back down to the computer. "A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password." He stood again. "IF I can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Then, I'll be able to put this system back the way it was before the MCP got control and changed everything." Tron got passion in his voice. "The way it was supposed to be—a free system for you—the Users."

Goofy scratched his head. "Gee, Tron, ain't the MCP one of those programs, too? Do ya know who it was who made it?"

"Actually…I don't know."

"Okay, we'll just have to find your User and ask him. What's his name?" Sora proposed.

"You mean you don't know?"

"No they don't because they never listen to me." Yuri mumbled and rolled her eyes in frustration. "My User is the user of this system: Ansem the Wise."

"Ansem!?" The three stepped back in shock while Yuri just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"God you guys are stupid." She whispered.

The computer started getting static and making weird noises. Tron turned back to it. "Looks like the MCP's on to us. I'll keep this terminal up and running. You better exit the system, now!"

"Sure…But Tron…Ansem is…" Sora stammered again.

"We'll get ya the password!" Donald interrupted.

"Okay." Tron stood. "You're good to go." He turned to them. "Hurry!"

They all walked to the computer. Beams of light shot up from the ground, encompassing them individually. Yuri had the tingling sensation again. Soon she found herself back in the User world facing a startled Leon. When she gained movement of her limbs again Yuri ran and hugged Leon. He just stood there shocked and patted her on the back. Yuri stepped back and blushed.

"We did it!" Donald yelled in happiness.

"Where have you been?"

"Well, uh…" Sora seemed to really be having a hard time getting words out. "There's a…world inside this computer, where these, um…programs live, and…"

Yuri butted in and relayed everything Tron said quickly to Leon.

"So in other words…Ansem's research data is off-limits unless we know the password."

"I think that's right." Sora said while Yuri nodded.

"But you've already defeated Ansem…"

"Gawrsh, maybe we'll never find the password."

"That means…this is all a wild goose chase." Leon said disappointedly.

"Maybe not. What if Ansem left a clue as to what the password would be and we just weren't noticing it because we weren't looking for it?" Yuri tried to be optimistic.

"you're chasing what now?" They looked to the door and saw a woman with brunette hair and black clothes.

"Hey Tiffa." Yuri greeted. She had met Tiffa a few days earlier in town.

"Hey Yuri. Well, Well! A hidden room! Guess I'd better take another look around." She turned and left for the main room. _Still looking for Cloud? _Sora ran after her to watch the destruction she could cause.


	7. Disappearing

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Yuri

Ch. 6 Disappearing

Leon turned to Yuri. "Are you alright?"

"I…I don't think they like me." She confessed.

"Why?"

"Because…I know things. And when I try to tell them they don't listen to me."

"I'm sure you're just not speaking up." Leon turned away and continued typing on the computer, trying to come up with a password.

"And I'm sure I'm going to disappear if no one acts like I actually exist." Yuri hung her head and left Ansem's offices. She walked through the Bailey with her head hung and didn't notice the man in black following her. She walked to Merlin's house and went up the secret stairs to her room. _Shower._

Pealing off her clothes Yuri made her way to the small shower. As she stood in the hot water she thought about everything that had been going on lately. Leon had started brushing her aside. Cid never looked up from his computer for her. Merlin was never around. The girls were always out. Sora, Donald and Goofy seemed to forget about her when she was right next to them. _I have to get out of here…not that anyone will notice._ Yuri hung her head. Everyone was abandoning her. Even the King was gone again. When she got out of the shower Yuri smelled of brown sugar and vanilla and steam rose off her wet skin. She slowly rubbed vanilla lotion over her body and moisturizer on her face. She sat in front of a mirror and applied black eye liner, green eye shadow and black mascara. On her lips she wore a very light gloss. She slipped on black panties and a black lacy bra. She didn't know why she bothered buying pretty undergarments. It wasn't like anyone was ever going to see them any way. She went back to the mirror and looked down at her assorted navel ear and lip rings. For her belly button she chose a silver broken heart. She chose a small ring with a ball in the center for the left corner of her bottom lip. Her ears took some more work. In the bottom ones she wore small silver ones that looked like two crossing hoops with balls on them (Claires and Icing have them). On her right ear she only had three piercing, on the middle of her ear she stuck an intricately designed silver cuff and at the top she wore another small silver hoop. On her left ear she had nine, at the top she put a very long silver bar with points at the ends through two holes. She stuck a diamond in the hole between the two holes carrying the bar. Below the bar she wore a black stone, a small cross, a multicolored flower, and a gold heart.

Yuri brushed her hair through and went to her wardrobe. She threw some clothes into a black and red duffle bag and took out black pants and a black and purple shirt to wear at the moment. After putting her clothes on she yet again returned to the mirror and the table beneath it. She chose a black choker with a silver key on it and got the chains out of a drawer to thread through the back of her pants. Yuri tossed her jewelry, makeup and hair accessories into her bag unceremoniously before throwing it on the bed to get her shoes on. As she pulled on her big black boots she wondered where she would go. She laced them up and decided it didn't matter where she went. As long as she went away.

When she got outside Yuri looked up at the sky, night was falling fast, and rain clouds were on there way in. She sighed. _I sure picked the time to leave._ She shouldered her bag and climbed up to the roofs where she stayed wandering around until later in the night.

It was pouring and Yuri still had no idea where to go. _Maybe I should go back…they must be worried…_Yuri headed back and sat on the roof across from Merlin's house. Looking in the window she was able to see everyone there, even the King and Sora's gang. Everyone was laughing and joking. Even Leon seemed to be in a good mood. Tears welled up in Yuri's eyes. This couldn't be happening to her. She shook her head and ran to the tattoo and piercing shop. Any time she felt completely miserable she had a new piercing put in, to try and ease the pain in her heart. But she was tired of that. She ran in. "TONY!" She yelled with tears still in her eyes.

A man walked down the steps. "Yuri?" He was a big man of 6'3 and 210 pounds. "What's wrong? You want another piercing?" He picked up his piercing gun.

"Not this time. This time I want a tattoo." Tony set down his gun.

"Are you sure?" Yuri nodded. "What do you want?"

Yuri looked around and saw a Japanese Character that called to her. "What is this one?"

Tony looked at it carefully. "Ushinau. It means despair."

"Perfect. I want that one."

"You sure?" Yuri nodded and sat in the chair.

"Where do you want it?"

She leaned back and lifted her shirt. "Here." She put her hand over her right hip.

"How big?"

"Not very." They decided on an inch tall and Tony got to work.

Yuri felt the sting and winced, shutting her eyes tightly against the needles going into her flesh, marking her permanently. She bit her lip gently to keep her whimper in her throat. She knew this would change her, physically and emotionally.

"Thank you Tony."

"No problem." Tony went to the cash machine and punched in some numbers. "28 munny since it's your first."

"Thanks." She said again before handing him the munny.

"Where you of to now?"

"I don't know…whish me luck." And with that Yuri left to find a ship to buy or borrow.

He watched from a distance. She had so many new things since he'd last seen her. Piercings lined her ears and one on her lip. He looked down at her belly ring and saw a broken heart. _My fault. _He watched as she took to the roofs and wandered about for the rest of the day. The rain started an hour into her wandering and soon it was pouring. He watched her cock her head as if thinking. She turned and went to Merlin's house, where she lived. He saw the tears gather in her eyes as she saw everyone laughing and having a good time, not noticing that she was gone. So she shouldered her black bag and ran. He followed her and watched her choose a symbol to put on her body. He saw the pain it caused her. When she left he entered.

"That tattoo Yuri got." He started "What does it mean?"

"Despair. Why, you want one too?"

"No." His voice once curious became hard. "Do you have paper and a pen I might borrow?"

"Uh…Sure." The man went behind his counter and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen.

"Thank you." He wrote a note and ran back to Merlin's house. After securing the note to a rock he threw it through the window. Yelling sounded inside and he hid from there sight. Everyone rushed out and looked around for the source of the rock. After going back in they noticed the note.

"What's it say?" Sora asked.

Leon unfolded the message. "Isn't someone missing?"

"What?"

"That's what the note says." Leon looked around. "Wait. Where's Yuri?" Everyone looked around and couldn't see her. _I'm helping…I hope…_ He disappeared in darkness and left them looking for her.


	8. China

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Yuri

CH. 7 China

Yuri found a ship and flew to the first place that popped up on the map. When she arrived she found a beautiful place with lots of trees and water and mountains. There was even snow on the mountains. "Snow…I haven't seen snow in a long time." She wasn't even exactly sure _when _the last time she saw snow had been. So she climbed up the mountain and played in the snow. She was ale to forget all her problems for a little while. Until she got cold. "I better find out where I am…" Yuri ran down the mountain and followed a path that led her to a large city. In the center of the city she found a large building that looked like it housed someone very important. Yuri cocked her head and ran up the thousands of steps to get to the entrance. Inside she found a very large open hallway and very large open rooms. As she searched she noticed something very strange. There was no one there. _Where is everyone?_ If this was an important person's house, surely there should be people there?

Yuri entered one room and saw two people at the opposite end of it. One old man sitting on a throne and a young man looking to be a soldier. The young man pulled out his sword and advanced on Yuri.

"Who are you?" He asked rudely.

"Um…My name is Yuri…Who are you? Where am I?"

"Oh, poor child." The old man said beckoning Yuri to him. "This is China. I am the Emperor and this man is Captain Li Shang." Yuri nodded and sat in front of the Emperor.

"Why aren't there more people here?"

"They are all away trying to protect me."

"But, if they're trying to protect you, shouldn't they be here?"

"Sometimes people have to go away in order to protect you." Yuri nodded and thought back to all the times she was upset about the gang leaving, but they had to be gone, so they could protect each other, her, and the town. "Why are you here my dear?"

"Well, I ran away. I was really angry, I don't want to go back just yet though." She looked at him with puppy eyes hoping he wouldn't send her away. He reminded her of Merlin and she missed him greatly.

The emperor smiled and patted her head. "Alright." They sat and talked until there was a commotion outside. Shang and Yuri stood. Shang wielded his sword and Yuri called her keyblade to her hand. A man dressed in black ran through the door. _Organization XIII!_ Yuri was ready for battle but Shang held an arm out for her to stay back while he went to fight the man. Yuri felt something in her heart. _What is this strange feeling?..._She watched the two men fight, it didn't take very long for the organization member to defeat Shang. Yuri held her keyblade in front of her and stood in front of the Emperor. But something about him…she didn't want to fight him. He laughed. There was something about his voice that made her skin crawl, like she'd heard it somewhere before.

"Might want to get better guards than this." He pointed to Shang who was lying on the floor.

"And why might that be?"

"Cuz there's a big flying thing on its way here."

"And what might your name be young man?"

He laughed again and disappeared in darkness. Yuri raised a hand. "I think I know him…" She whispered. They sat in silence for a time as Yuri saw to Shang's minor wounds. As she was finishing there were more loud noises just outside the room, inside the palace. Soon it stopped and they drew there weapons again. This time Sora, Donald, Goofy and a young woman ran into the room.

The foursome ran to the throne where Yuri and Shang were stationed on either side. Sora stared with his mouth agape at Yuri. "Your Excellency!" The young woman addressed the Emperor. "Shang! Something terrible has happened! We saw a huge monster fly out of the mountains and toward the city!"

"Ahh." The Emperor answered calmly. "So it is as the young man said. Isn't that right, Captain?"

Shang became suddenly uncomfortable. "Y-yes, Your Excellency."

"You see," The Emperor explained to Sora and gang. "A young stranger visited us not long ago. The Captain fought the visitor, but was quickly defeated." Yuri didn't think that was necessary to say.

"To my dishonor." Shang hung his head, full of disappointment in himself.

"Shang, he's a very strong opponent." Yuri tried to comfort him.

"It seems that young man was the one in black that I have heard whispers about."

"Did he mention the name Riku?" Sora asked. Yuri's head shot up and her eyes glazed over. Had that been what she was feeling? Had that been why she hadn't wanted to attack him? Was he Riku?

"He didn't offer his name. He was rather rude."

"Rude? Then it _was_ Riku!" Sora yelled happily. Yuri looked off in the distance. He was right in front of her and he hadn't said a word to her. He had been right in front of her and she let him leave again. Why hadn't she known it was him? Why hadn't she known that the feeling in her heart was that of love recognizing its obsession?

"But why would he come here?" The girl asked. _That's true…why would he come here? He has no reason to…does he?...did he come because of me?...no. Don't let yourself get hopeful. You know what it's done to you before. _Yuri shook her head to clear her thoughts. The palace shook.

"Is that your winged monster?" Yuri asked looking at Sora who nodded. "Great."

"I'll check outside." The woman said looking at Shang. They turned to leave.

"Mulan!" Shang yelled after them.

The woman turned back. "Shang, guard the emperor! I'll be fine, with them!" She gestured to Sora and his group.

"Th-that's right!" Sora didn't seem so sure of himself.

"Indeed." The Emperor concurred. "That is true: We need not worry while you protect us." Everyone looked at the Emperor for the poetry that always seemed to flow from him.

"Hurry!" Donald snapped everyone back to reality.

As they ran out Sora called back to Yuri. "You should come back! We've all been really worried about you! Leon and the others are still searching town for you!" Yuri hung her head and smiled. So they did care?

After a while they became worried. "Should it take them this long?"

Shang rose. "I'll go check on them, you stay here with the Emperor."

Shang left and the Emperor leaned in to Yuri. "He likes Mulan but will not tell her so. I think he is afraid she does not reciprocate, but she does. They may never know their love for each other because both are too afraid to tell the other of their feelings." He smiled knowingly at Yuri. Yuri ran to the door and saw a large blue dragon falling from the sky, about to fall on Mulan.

Shang ran forward. "Mulan!" He yelled as he ran and covered her with his own body, protecting her from harm. Yuri sighed. How she wished someone would do that for her. Shang helped her up and they smiled sweetly at each other.

Yuri turned back to the Emperor. "Something tells me they'll know." She walked to him and hugged the Emperor. "I wish I could stay here. But I think I should be getting back to my other friends." Yuri went to her ship and sighed heavily. Would they be happy she was back? Or would they yell at her for leaving? _Only one way to find out._


End file.
